This album is a bit different to most of Sonny's albums since instead of the usual folky feel this album has a tough down home Chicago feel with Sonny accompanied by Johnny Winter/electric & acoustic guitar & piano, Willie Dixon/bass and Styve Homnick/drums. Sonny is in good form vocally and instrumentally and the accompaniments are tasteful and appropriate - one could have only wished that Sonny would have played amplified harp for an even tougher sound! (FS)

CD issue of Krazy Kat 807. On Aug. 15, 1952 Sonny cut 2
takes each of 8 tunes for Gotham, who released 2 couplings, Baby Let's
Have Some Fun/ Four O'Clock Blues & Harmonica Rhumba/ Lonesome
Room. This LP releases 14 of 16 recordings, only 3 ever before issued
(for some reason, only the alternate take of Rhumba is here.) With
backing by Brownie McGhee, Doc Bagby(org) & Daddy Merritt(p,d), the
released tunes are more in the folky vein Sonny & Brownie were doing
at the time for Folkways, with the other 4 being a harder, more blues
sound - Wine Headed Baby (great)/ Bad Luck Blues/ No Love Blues/
News For You Baby (GM)

26 tracks, 75 min., recommended
Here we have Sonny Terry's
complete post-1945 recording, including (for the first time) a few
unissued Library of Congress recordings. Included are 3 early L of C
versions of Fox Chase (1938,1942), the last two (unissued) also
featuring Brownie McGhee. The Red Cross Store, with Brownie on
vocals, also comes from this unissued session. The post-1943 NYC
recordings - for Asch, Savoy, Solo Records - include Sweet Woman
(Solo,'45) with his first vocal featuring his natural voice (instead of
his falsetto). The CD ends with 3 tracks featuring Sonny Terry (&
McGhee) accompanying one Alonzo Scales. (EL)

22 tracks, 69 mins, recommended
Fine selection of sides,
mostly drawn from selections recorded for the Stinson label. Sonny is
mostly featured in the company of Woody Guthrie who sings on a number of
the tracks and plays guitar, banjo and mandolin. Some of the tracks also
feature Woody's traveling buddy Cisco Houston and a couple feature fine
vocals by Alec Seward. Sonny is also featured in a brief contribution to This
Time Of The Year - an orchestra production from the play "Finian's
Rainbow" which featured Sonny in an acting role. (FS)

Harmonica master Sonny Terry's eight Folkways LP's were full
of ferocious North Carolina harp playing. Pete Seeger and his banjo show
up on two of this CD's 17 tracks, including an updating of the classic Fox
Chase; Terry's longtime partner Brownie McGhee plays guitar on 10
others. There are two previously unreleased tracks here, both duets with
McGhee dating from the late forties: a devastating version of James (St.
Louis Jimmy) Oden's dark Going Down Slow, and an unissued acetate
of the wild Sweet Woman. The sound on this 48-minute set is
exemplary, and the performances are consistently first-rate. JG)

26 tracks, 79 min., recommended
Originally issued as 2 LP's
(Fantasy 3254 & 3317), California Blues features this most
famous blues duo in 1957, early in their recording association. Nine
songs, including I'm A Stranger/ John Henry/ I Done Done/ Motherless
Child feature the pair harmonizing; on the rest of the cuts they back
each other. It's easy to see why these acoustic performances helped Terry
and McGhee become the darlings of the burgeoning folk revival movement.
And it's easy to hear why the two became such respected bluesmen. Plenty
of great harp and guitar work, and notes from Bay Area blues scholar Lee
Hildebrand. A tremendous value. (JC)

Recommended 75 more minutes of fine live stuff from the same
sessions as the classic Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee Live At Sugar
Hill, recorded at that San Francisco club 12/61 (available on Original
Blues Classics 536). They wonder why people ask why they only sing about
whiskey, women & money - what else is there? Tunes include Wine
Headed Woman/ One Scotch One Bourbon One Beer/ Lose Your Money, along
with more traditional Back Water Blues/ Careless Love/ Climbin' On Top
Of The Hill (a rewrite of Sittin' On Top Of The World)/ Key
To the Highway, etc.with both bluesmen at their peak (GM)

Reissue of Fantasy 8091 recorded live at San Francisco's
famed Sugar Hill jazz and blues club in December 1961. Fairly standard
Sonny & Brownie McGhee fare including Hooray, Hooray, This Woman Is
Killing Me/ Just About Crazy/ Baby, I Knocked On Your Door/ Baby, I Got My
Eye On You/ I Feel Alright Now/ Sweet Woman Blues, etc.

A worthwhile reissue of Sonny & Brownie's gospel LP on
Fantasy. Many of these tracks (recorded in Oakland in 1957) have fervor
and pep, but still they sound sterile and somewhat contrived in comparison
to lifetime country gospel performers like Rev. Gary Davis. With Some
Of These Days/ Just A Closer Walk With Thee/ If I Could Hear My Mother
Pray/ You Can't Hide - 12 in all. (MB)

Enjoyable collection of 17 songs recorded live in England in
1959 and previously unissued. The duo are in good form on amostly familiar
collection of songs (Mean Old Southern/ Pick A Bale Of Cotton/ Fox
Chase/ Midnight Special/ How Long Blues/ John Henry, etc) along with a
few less frequently recorded (Twelve Gates To The City/ I Got Fooled

29 tracks, 79 mins, highly recommended
In spite of the
shoddy packaging and total lack of documentation (not even who sings on
what tracks!) this is an exciting and important release featuring some
superb New York blues. Highlight is the extended look at the recordings of
the outstanding and mysterious Cousin Leroy (Rozier) recorded at two
sessions in 1955 and 1957 including four previously unissued songs and
three unissued alternate takes from the second session - all of it
excellent. Leroy was a terrific and powerful singer and is accompanied by
small groups which included Jack Dupree on piano, the great Larry Dale on
guitar and, on the second session, Sonny Terry playing some dynamite
electric harp. Based on his style and choice of material I would guess
that he's from Mississippi. His Crossroads is a masterpiece - using
the tune and some of the lyrics of the traditional Catfish it has
an opening verse that has one of the best evocations of the crossroads
myth " I Walked Down By The Crossroads Just To Learn How Play My
Guitar Well A Man Walked Up Son Let Me Tune It That Was The Devil That Was
The Devil" and it features a wonderful tremolo laden guitar solo
overladen with hot harp (is it really Sonny Terry?!). There is also a
completely different alternate of this song which sounds like a rehearsal.
Other great songs by him include Highway 41/ Stringbeans (two takes
of an unissued song)/ Woke Up With The Blues/ Sail On/ Voodoo/ I'm
Lonesome/ Catfish and others. The 14 other tracks on this collection
feature our old friends Sonny & Brownie in a variety of settings -
mostly from the 50s along with three from 1944 and all of them excellent
and not readily available elsewhere. It includes the two sides with Sonny
and his nephew J.C. Burris, one of them a bluesy treatment of the
children's somg which gives this album its title, Sonny's hard to find
Gramercy sessions and some fine sessions with small electric groups. Sound
is generally fine though the three tracks from 1944 exhibit over use of
digital noise reduction. I wish a label like Ace could have tackled this
project and give it the production values the music deserves but
nevertheless I unequivocally recommend this set - Cousin Leroy will knock
you out. (FS)

10 tracks, 46 min., good. There really are some great white
blues guitarists out there, and Thackery is one of the more tasteful I've
heard in a while. But I worry that blues singing will soon be a lost art,
or is at least lost on these guys who think that gravelly gargling noises
are the closest they can come to soulful vocalizing. Stick with the
instrumental sizzle of Stevie Ray Vaughn's Rude Mood, the Mar-Key's
Last Night, and the faithful copy of Hendrix's Red House,
unless the sound of someone giving themselves a sore throat turns you on.
(MB)

27 tracks, 73 min., Recommended
Most gospel singers made few
if any records during WW II, thanks to shellac shortages, but Rosetta
Tharpe and her fans were blessed in that regard. And while the songs here
are mostly religious, the opener, cut with Lucky Millinder And His
Orchestra, is a version of I Want A Tall Skinny Papa that must have
given her regular churchgoing audience fits. Of course, her religious
songs sounded pretty secular most of the time anyway. Her second recording
of This Train is notable if only because she's backed by Louis
Jordan And His Tympany Five. Similarly, Rosetta is accompanied by the
capable Sam Price Trio on the exceptional and popularStrange Things
Happening Every Day and on its original flip Two Little Fishes And
Five Loaves Of Bread. But much of the time it's just Sister Tharpe and
her guitar. And that's fine. (JC)

18 tracks, 50 min., recommended Born Rosetta Nubin in 1915,
this energetic female gospel pioneer began her musical career singing
"the devil's music" at the famous Cotton Club in New York City.
Within a few years, however, she had turned her full attention to sacred
music presumably because God "don't like" the blues. And, as
this look at her earliest recordings demonstrates, her choice did result
in some mighty "joyful noise." Featured recordings include Just
a Closer Walk with Thee/ Sit Down/ Rock Me/ This Train/ Stand by Me/
Nobody's Fault But Mine/ All Over This World, and Precious Lord
Take My Hand.
Sound quality is good given the dates of the material; the
brief English notes are informative/ and cover graphics are basic but
appropriate. (DH)

10 tracks, 44 minutes, highly recommended
Reissue of Savoy
14214 from 1968 - one of this great artists' last sessions. They are, for
the most part, remakes of earlier classic Decca recordings. Although not as
strong as her earlier work Rosetta is in fine form with powerful vocals and
energetic guitar work accompanied by a small group with organ, piano, bass
and drums. Rosetta seems to get more energized as the album progresses
starting off with fairly tame performances of Precious Memories and
Come By Here with most of the instrumental work dominated by the
organ. By the time she starts Walking Up The Kings Highway she is
sounding much more enthusiastic throws in some terrific guitar licks and she
ends of the set with a riproaring version of one of her best known songs
This Train with some sermonizing, great singing and stellar guitar work.
(FS)

Sister Rosetta Tharpe always loved to travel, and although
she hated cities she adored her fans. This 12-song CD, recorded live in
England in 1960, highlights her down-home earthy style and country way of
singing gospel. The first to popularize the electrified guitar in the
church, she had a vigorous picking style which at times broke into wild
staccato, and influenced even the like of T-Bone Walker. Moments such as
these are briefly captured on the bridges of songs Didn't It Rain/
Gospel Train/ Down By The Riverside. Just good ole country gospel
singing, strumming, and foot tapping as only the gal from Cotton Plant,
Arkansas can do it. Recorded earlier, and with better balance than the
Milan CD in our last newsletter. (OLN)

25 tracks, 73 mins, very good
A collection of recordings
featuring this talented performer who achieved most of his acclaim as a
comic, actor and songwriter - he wrote the blues/ jazz standard - You
Rascal You and wrote Let The Good Times Roll for Louis Jordan.
His first recording of You Rascal You from July, 1929 is available
on Blues Documents 6040 ("Cow Cow Davenport - The Accompanist")
- this set features You Rascal You - No. 2 from 1930 with an
unknown piano accompaniment. Theard was a decent singer and has some good
accompaniments from Tampa Red, Cow Cow Davenport, John Oscar & others.
Most of his repertoire consists of standard hokum fare full of predictable
double etendres She Skuffles That Ruffvin' It Away/ Doodle It Back/ Hot
Dog Man/ Get It In Front/ She Can Love So Good and the like. There are
a few more interesting songs like Three Sixes (what is he singing
about here) and two almost country blues flavored songs with nice slide
guitar from Willie B. James though sound quality on these is pretty rough.
Excellent notes by Tony Russell. (FS)

10 tracks, 58 minutes, very good
Little Al Thomas stepped
into the spotlight with 1999's "South Side Story" on the now-defunct
Cannonball label and proved he was a force to be reckoned with and this
outing stems from a 2000 appearance in Lucerne with the same core band from
his last release; John Edelmann's guitar along with Mot Dutko and T. Edward
Gamelchick providing the grooves. Alto and tenor sax beef up the sound and
everyone provides solid support. Edelmann proves himself a solid songwriter
with a pair, Bad Luck Baby, a storming shuffle and Memphis Girl,
a funky blues, while gems from long ago get updates on Casey Bill Weldon's
Somebody Changed The Lock On My Door, Big Bill's Feel So Good,
Magic Sam's Just Like A Fish, and Chuck Willis' Feel So Bad.
They also take off on Sweet Sixteen and I Gotta Find My Baby,
and a smoldering Nobody Sleepin' In My Bed. A barnstorming set of
blues. (CR)

Henry Thomas was one of the greats of
early blues with a repertoire that included many songs that predated blues
as well as music influenced by white country and popular music. He was a
Texas singer and guitarist who often punctuated his singing and guitar
playing with the uncommon sound of the pan-pipes or quills - a remarkably
effective addition to his music. This disc is a reissue of the long out of
print double album on Herwin with new cover and new notes by Stephen Calt
whose writing is drier and more analytical than that of the original notes
by Mack McCormick. It features all 23 issued songs recorded by Thomas
between 1927 and '29. Thomas's music is intensely melodic and it's not
surprising that some of his songs (Fishing Blues/ Honey Won't You Allow
Me One More Chance/ Don't Leave Me Here ) have been covered by white
folk and blues interpreters. Sound is excellent throughout and if you have
not heard this before it's well worth your time. (FS)

25 tracks, 75 min., good
Nothing here proves what a good
blues singer Hociel Thomas could be, but her 10 sides may be of interest
because her backing group is Louis Armstrong's Jazz Four -- Hociel's
father was Hersal Thomas. And yet, even Armstrong, Hersal, Johnny Dodds,
and Johnny St. Cyr seem unable or unwilling to lift these bluesy pop
numbers to any interesting elevation. Lillie Delk Christian was a jazz
singer of pop songs, not a blues singer, and again, accompaniment tends to
be the most interesting element in these recordings, and again, Armstrong
(with his Hot Five,this time) is one of the backing musicians. So are Earl
Hines and Jimmie Noone. The results are mixed, though generally quite
satisfying as My Blue Heaven, Ain't She Sweet, You're A
Real Sweetheart and a couple of others confirm. Last Night I
Dreamed You Kissed Me can perhaps most kindly be described as an
egregious error. (Note: Hociel Thomas' early recordings are available on
DOCD-5224.) (JC)

10 tracks, 47 min., recommended
A splendid 1993 gospel
session, showing that this New Orleans soul sensation, best known perhaps
for Wish Someone Would Care and Time Is On My Side, both
from 1964, is still in very fine form indeed. This latest set from her
current label includes spiritual standards like the title track and Ask
What You Will, up tempo tunes like Just a Little While to Stay Here,
and the Christmas standard Oh Holy Night, all performed with power
and conviction. Not for the musically timid. Whether you're a fan of
Thomas's or a general fan of gospel music, this disc is a winner.
Impeccable sound, brief notes, and solid graphics. (DH)

12 tracks, 45 mins, very good
Reissue of early 80s album
originally on the German L+R label plus a couple of bonus cuts drawn from
L+R compilations - some recorded live in Europe. Mississippi Delta
bluesman Thomas was a good singer and guitarist with a repertoire that
mostly consisted of blues standards like Mama Don't 'Low No Guitar
Playin' Round Here/ Rock Me Mama/ Standing At The Crossroads/ Smokey
Mountain and others though Thomas often gives them an original twist.
Highlights are the powerful title song and a lengthy version of Catfish
Blues with some naughty lyrics. (FS)

CD issue of album recorded in Holland in 1981 during the
first European tour of this fine Mississippi country bluesman. Pleasing
renditions of somewhat overly familiar songs including Big Leg Woman/
Whiskey Headed Woman/ Take A Little Walk/ Lonesome Road Blues/ Hard Time
Blues/ Catfish Blues (a "naughty" version)/ Bull Cow
Blues and others.

This is one for diehard harmonica freaks. Kid Thomas (Tommy
Louis Watts) was a fine singer and harmonica player from Mississippi who
originally settled in Chicago. He eventually moved to the West Coast in
1960 where he was murdered in 1970 in tragic circumstances. He only
recorded a handful of songs and had his only commercial release in 1957 -
the Howling Wolf flavored Wolf Pack
The Spell. This disc features all the outtakes from the session
include four alternates of Wolf Pack and two of The Spell
plus 6 unissued songs including 5 takes of the relatively pedestrain Beaulah
Come Back! Individually, each of the songs is fine with powerful
singinga dharp blowing and solid backup but the plethora of alternate
takes is really too much to take. It would have made more sense to feature
the ebst take of each song and fill out the disc with his fine but
uncommon singles recorded in the 60s. Still, being a CD, you can always
skip over the multiple alternates! (FS)

Willard "Ramblin'" Thomas was an outstanding
country-blues guitarist who recorded for Paramount and Victor. In addition
to his 16 songs on this set, several other performers round out the disc.
There are five songs by Jesse "Babyface" Thomas (Willard's
little borther), two by Sammy Hill, and another pair by Otis Harris, all
of which have been previously reissued, though not on CD. But it's
Ramblin' Thomas, his exquisite slide playing and singing, and his dark,
direct visions that are at the center of this fine disc. (JG)